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Vote set in next 48 hours for proposed early signing period for college football

LSU Pro Day Les Miles : LSU Pro Day

LSU coach Les Miles wouldn't mind having an early signing period for college football, but stands with the SEC's position as a conference disagreeing on the national proposal on the table that calls for the date to coincide when junior college players sign in mid-December.
(BRETT DUKE)

College football may have its first early signing period within the next couple of days.

The Collegiate Commissioners Association is set to vote today or Wednesday during its annual conference in Asheville, North Carolina, on a proposal that calls for an early signing period that would align with the date junior college transfers can sign letters of intent.

If passed, the early signing date this year would be Dec. 16. The rule would stay in place for two years through 2016 when it would be reviewed.

The CCA, which consists of the 32 Division I conference commissioners, is responsible for administering the National Letter of Intent high school players sign.

Susan Peal, director of the national letter of intent, said the FBS (Division 1-A schools) and FCS (Division 1-AA) could adopt an early signing period collectively, or have distinct signing periods with dates separate from each other.

There should be vigorous debate about the issue, though it appears most of the conferences want the early signing period.

Four of the Power Five conferences - the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 - are in favor of the proposal along with the MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt. Conference USA is leaning in that direction.

The SEC wants an early signing date, but doesn't like the proposal. The league said it prefers the date to be the first Monday after Thanksgiving, which is also the first Monday after the end of the regular season and the first Monday before the SEC championship game.

The SEC proposal would also call for no official visits during football season by any recruit wishing to sign early.

SEC athletic directors and new commissioner Greg Sankey made the league's position clear at last month's business meetings in Sandestin, Fla.

"I want my coaches worried about winning games during the football season," LSU athletic director Joe Alleva. "It (an early signing period) changes priorities and focus. It changes the whole timeline of when things get done."

Sankey said the issue has been studied for six years.

"What happens in early December when conferences are playing championship games?" Sankey wondered out loud. "When the next week, people are in final exams and you're asking some prospects to sign national letters of intent midweek during their own state high school playoffs?

"You don't have access to another semester's academic information where you're making decisions and probably don't have test scores at any point during the senior year? I could go on and on with the incremental three pages of concerns."

LSU coach Les Miles, though he doesn't agree with the national proposal on the table, sees the value of an early signing date. He said it could sharpen a team's recruiting focus heading into the usual first Wednesday in February signing date.

"The early date is an opportunity to make sure that those guys that want to commit early are done, and you know who you have," Miles said. "In other words, 'Hey, we committed those two linebackers, so we don't really need linebackers. We're good. Or they de-committed and went to another school. Guess what? We need two.'

"It just makes great sense for the guy that wants to sign early, makes great sense for the college."